Flicker of Inspiration Prompt #30: Year’s End
The theme is “Year’s End” and whatever that means for you.

I just love writing prompts, they get my brain in motion and help me to come out swinging when blogfluenza strikes and squashes my creativity. Where now do I begin with regard to describing what an ending means to me as I sit on the threshold of one more…beginning?

Let me think. For starters, 2011 was a somewhat better year than its predecessor and a few before that.  Economically-speaking, a fair yet painfully slow improvement emerged for our struggling universe.   As we look toward 2012, hope will prevail that we will see the cloud cover of financial doom give way to brighter skies of promise in the way of jobs and more. But, the very best part of this year?    Our American troops returning from Iraq.  Welcome Home to all!

<Just call this..my need to insert some 2011 parental pride.>  In my immediate life, this year saw our family grow by one more with the welcome addition of our new daughter-in-law, thanks to the excellent judgment of our son John. Continuing in her position as the APC of a Florida high school, our oldest daughter Jen maintains a pivotal role in the organization and dedication to both students and faculty she oversees.   On the animal rescue front, Jill, our middle daughter,  acts in an official capacity as our local Dog Control Officer, on duty 24/7, dealing both with happy and heart-wrenching endings when she responds to countless pet emergency calls.  She is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to animal welfare.

<And more pride> Four amazing grandchildren who are absolute joys.  Beautiful Emma and handsome Jake, Matthew and Jaden.  Did I mention brilliant as well?

Other things didn’t change much this past year with regard to extended family; mine and that of several close friends.   Years of stupid disagreements continue to drive a wedge in what should be happy times of togetherness between various people in my life.  Holidays or any other times of celebration find too many families hovering , almost combatively,  from different corners, glaring at each other because of misdirected pride and ignorance,  sometimes fueled by the vindictiveness of others.

Alzheimer’s disease worked its horror to end the life of an uncle, one of my late mother’s two brothers.  His passing was well over one year ago but no one thought to call me with the news.    Now, I recently heard through family channels that this wretched disease is slowly turning its focus on the last surviving brother.   I sit here and wonder, no, make that fear, that this legacy of destruction will become my future.

A favorite blogger responded in her usual, elegant, style to this prompt and as I sat reading her post, I thought about how meaningful her words were.  She summed-up her feelings perfectly and left me wishing that I had written those words but I was gently reminded that, through blogging, we learn from others.  We share and we grow.  Mostly, we write from our hearts.

This has been from my heart and I’ll share what I think is a fitting quote…..“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.”  ~Hal Borland

Well, for me, every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.  Out with the old and in with a Very Happy New Year!